His smile
by DiLaHastings
Summary: His smile changed her life completely. She chose Ezra for the wrong reasons. When she finds out that her relationship with Ezra was formed off a lie, she realizes the mistake she's made and runs into the arms of the man she yearns for. Question is now; does he still feel the same way about her? JARIA Multi-fic - in progress.
1. Home

It was almost as if the world around her had stopped – it was as if she was confined to a cage of her own self-imprisonment, left alone, with her disastrous thoughts.

She had called _him_, asking _him_ where _he_ was – not even telling _him_ what happened – but _he_ could hear the sadness dripping in her voice.

At first, she didn't know where she was going, but when she saw the signs that had the word 'Atlantic City' printed on it, she knew she had to make a call.

The windscreen wipers hissed harshly as it wiped away the droplets of rain that poured from the night sky, almost mirroring the actions of Aria's hands – wiping at her cheeks harshly, trying to remove any evidence of the tears that streamed down from her eyes.

The continuous thoughts about how Ezra had used their relationship as a way to gain insight into the Alison DiLaurentis murder – almost as if it was a game.

A game where he would piece it all together, and use it to his advantage.

She felt like an utter clown. The amount of times _he_ warned her about her clandestine relationship with the teacher – not only because he was her teacher, but because _he_ had a bad feeling about him.

The amount of times _he_ had tried showing her the world for what it was. Attempting to show her how a girl is supposed to be treated. During this time, she had fallen for _him_.

Immensely.

Staring into _his_ green pools of beauty seemed to be her favorite thing to do each time they spoke. Taking in the view as she propped herself on the kitchen counter, watching _his_ shirtless figure cook them eggs for dinner after a rough day painting the interior of his house – a smile dancing on her lips as she did so.

She was a foolish, foolish girl.

She had her world in her hands, grasping it at any given opportunity, staring deeply at it – taking in all that she could – breathing in its scent, and most importantly, relishing the way it-_he_ had made her feel.

But she had let it all go. For a boy – not a man, he would never be a man to her – who used her for his own selfish gain. But what exactly did she expect from him? Their dates consisted of eating takeout on his second-hand couch, whilst watching poorly chosen noir films.

She was with _him_ at any time she could. _He_ knew she was a taken woman, so _he_ never pulled anything on her. Except the pulling of heartstrings, of course.

Yes, _he_ had never leaned in, or attempted to, at least, after her – regrettable – 'I'm unavailable' statement. But that didn't mean they didn't flirt. Flirting was second nature to _him_, specifically around her, and no matter how hard _he_ tried to restrain _himself_ (attempting to be a gentleman, and not overstep), _he_ would always bring those butterflies to her tummy.

Putting her car into park, she reached over and grabbed her phone, dialing the first number that popped on screen.

"I'm out front," She stated, her voice still a little groggy. Getting out of the car, reaching for her small suitcase from her backseat, she took in the sight.

It was an apartment block, fairly new, and very unlike _him_.

Not because _he_ wasn't the type of person to be in such high-class living, but because she's always known _him_ to be the boy who didn't fuss over the extravagant like _his_ sister did.

Watching as he opened the door – his dirty blond hair shorter than the last time she had seen him, and his beard had grown – a smile played at her lips as it always did when she lays eyes on him.

The moment he saw her, his worried expression enhanced itself. She wasn't a girl to run – she never was – but the moment their eyes locked, her feet had a mind of their own and took off toward him. Her hands flying around the nape of his neck as he lifted her off the ground. Her legs wrapped themselves around his waist, their faces digging into the crook of each other's necks.

"Aria," He breathed out, relief washed over him, finally having her in his arms – despite the reason as to why.

She hesitantly pulled back, looking at him through her blurry vision, caused by the tears, which threatened to fall. He looked over her, her makeup ruined by the tears and her bottom lip trembling. He hated seeing her like this. So fragile. So broken.

"Want to go inside?" He asked, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. Her eyes fluttering shut at his touch. She nodded.

* * *

He watched her as she sat on the couch, her hands coming up to wrap around the mug which was full of caffeine. She shivered at the warmth it brought her.

He leaned up against the counter, inspecting her every move. He didn't want to say anything that could possibly lead her to a mental breakdown. So he just stood there, waiting for her to reach out to him at her own pace.

"I know what you're thinking," She whispered, her eyes strained on the mug in her hands. "I know that you think I'm using you- because that's what I always do. I come to you when things are crappy with Ezra," He sighed.

Despite the fact that he constantly fights the internal battles about this, there's always a lingering ache in his heart that says the exact thing.

"But it's not like that. It never was…He hurt me, emotionally. Taunted me for being so trustworthy. But I was the one who broke me," She said. "I was the one who chose him, knowing that in my heart, he wasn't the one. I made the mistake of choosing him – I mean, he practically made me feel like crap because he had lost everything for me… I owed it to him, didn't I?"

"You don't owe him anything, Aria," Jason stated, taking the seat next to her. She placed the mug on the glass coffee table in front of her and began playing with her fingers. "He was with you because he wanted to be. You never forced him to do anything against his will. It's all on him-

"He was with me because he needed something from me, Jason. Not because he wanted me," She sighed. "I put so much effort into the relationship toward the end because I had already lost the one thing I wanted. So I invested everything into it. To be safe. But- but he was using me for his stupid book," She sniffled. "Oh, Jason, I'm so sorry," She began crying.

Tears streamed down her face as she brought her hands up to cover her face. Jason took her hands in his, gently kissing each of them.

"Hey, hey, Aria, look at me," Her eyes remained on her lap. Removing his hand from her own, he tilted her chin toward him, compelling her eyes to meet his own. His green orbs searched her own for the guilt they carry, hoping to dispense of it with his reassuring gaze. "There's nothing to be sorry for… I'm your friend, this is what friends are for,"

"There used to be a time where we were more than that," Aria replied raspingly. "But I ruined that… I ruined that for him because I was too-

"Aria, please," He pleaded, "Don't apologise for what you thought was right at the time-

"But I never thought it was," She gripped his hands tightly, the tears continuously streaming down her reddened cheeks. "I was going to break up with him. But when I returned home, there he was, sitting on the couch across from my parents, telling them about how much he cared for me," She sniffled, "I know it's no excuse, but he had practically put himself on the line for me, and I couldn't just- just leave him there. I had to choose him."

Her eyes said the words she didn't.

_I'm sorry_.

He smiled at her, reassuringly.

"Do you want to stay here for a while?" He asked, his hands rubbing gentle circles over her own, in an attempt to comfort her.

"I told my dad that I needed some time away. I would play catch up when I got back," She huskily replied.

"Good," He said. Their eyes bound to one another's, having an unsaid conversation of their own. "Veggie burgers or stir fry? I've learned to make both while I was here," She laughed at that.

"Stir fry sounds good," She smiled at him. No matter how upset she could ever be, he would always make her smile. No matter the moment or the place, he was her source of happiness.

He let go of her hands and made his way to the kitchen, turning the heat on the stove on.

She found the bathroom to her left and washed her face, clearing it of any indication that she had been crying. Once she was half satisfied with her look, she made her way to the kitchen and propped herself on the counter.

She never understood what they meant that home could be a person. Until now.

And it felt good to be at home.


	2. Death of me

**_Hey guys! Thank you for your constant support - it means a lot! I'm on a Jaria splurge, so enjoy it._**

**_This story will be a three-piece fic (I'm not very good at long stories), just trying to get it all to make sense._**

**_Please review and favorite !_**

* * *

The week had flown by almost as quick as it had begun. The crying and muffles that Aria once accompanied on more than several occasions, diminished, and she was back to being the girl she once was. Better, even.

For the past two nights, however, as she lay in bed, her heart yearned for the missing body beside her.

The warmness of his heart and body. She craved his touch.

They both worked admirably hard to build each other to be the best versions of themselves, and she loved how he did that with a constant smile on his face, no matter how difficult it got sometimes.

She stood from her bed and silently tip-toed her way to his bedroom that was two doors down from the bedroom she was occupying. His door was left a little open, peeking through the crack of the door, she noticed he was lying awake.

Her courage outweighed her fear hence her decision to walked in, gently closing the door behind her.

"Aria, what's wrong?" He asked, sitting up from his bed – revealing his muscly figure. Her hair was tied up and she was wearing one of his shirts (she had forgotten to pack pajamas).

"I-uh," She hesitated.

"What's wrong, Ar? You can tell me, you know that," He had hoped that she would come into his room one night, but after everything she had gone through the week previous, he wasn't sure that was a good idea.

She walked toward his bed and sat down on the corner of it, looking at him despite the darkness of the room.

He sat upright and leaned toward her, his hand coming up to caress her cheeks. He could now see her hazel eyes staring back at him.

"I couldn't sleep," She whispered, their faces mere centimeters apart. He swallowed, wetting his bottom lip as he continued to search her eyes.

Her gaze dropped from his green observers to his wet lip. Noticing her change of sight, he nodded.

"You can sleep with me tonight," He went to move away from her, when she gently grabbed his wrist, forcing him to look back at her. "Aria?"

"Why are you so hesitant?" She questioned, "Have you- have you lost feelings for me?"

"I don't think I could ever lose feelings for you, Aria," He stated. A small smile played on her lips. "But you just got out of a relationship, and it wouldn't be right if I just jumped down your throat the moment you got here," He sighed. She looked up at him, analyzing the façade he had put up, trying to keep her out.

"Jase," She whispered, his eyes darting to her own. "You- you could never be a rebound. My feelings for you – they're feelings you have for someone when you want to spend the rest of your life with them," He looked down, noticing that the hand that clasped his wrist was now moving down to the palm of his hand, and entwining her fingers in his. "But if that's not what you want anymore-

She began to remove her hands from him, and slowly stood up from his bed. He looked up at her and realised she was only acting on his silence. His silence lead her to believe that he didn't want to spend the rest of his life with her, too. But he was just processing it all.

"I'm going to go-

"No, Aria," He stood from the bed and took two quick strides to be in front of her. His hand reached out to cup her cheek, slowly rubbing soothing circles with this thumb. Their eyes locked again, for the hundredth time that night.

"Of course that's what I want," He assured her, leaning down and captured her lips as his own. Her arms wrapped around his torso, as his came down to her hips, gently tugging her closer to him, so that their bodies were flush up against each other.

It wasn't a rushed kiss, but it was passionate. Their lips crashing against one another, trying to catch up on the time they've spent apart. His tongue darted into her mouth, a small moan escaping her lips as he did so. He smiled up against her, acknowledging the way he was making her feel, but he would not take advantage of it. He couldn't ever take advantage of her.

He slowly pulled away, his hands remaining on her hips, eyes fluttering open.

They stared into each other's glowing eyes, both glistened with the sheer joy of what had come of tonight.

"So does the offer still stand?" Aria questioned, nodding toward the bed. He chuckled at the petite girl in front of him.

"Of course," He announced, placing a peck on her lips before reaching for her hand and guiding her toward his bed.

They both laid down, she snuggled closer to him, resting her face on his beating heart as his arm wrapped itself protectively around her. Pulling the duvet over them, he placed a kiss on the top of her head as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

She woke up to a very familiar smell – pancakes. Sitting upright after she had a moment to properly wake up, she looked around her. Jason was no longer in bed, the light shining in through the window curtains. She stood up and began walking to the kitchen.

Her hair was now out, yet it still held the curls of yesterday's curling iron. She crossed her arms and smiled at the sight. Her favorite sight.

Jason cooking – shirtless.

She walked toward him slowly and wrapped her arms around him from behind. A smile glossed his features when he felt her around him.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," He said, putting the spatula down and turning toward his girl. He wrapped his arms around her and leaned down to place a kiss on her lips.

Pulling away with a smile, her eyes fluttered open. "Good morning handsome,"

"Mmm, I could get used to seeing this every morning," He stated, smirking down at her. She placed a kiss on his chest and smiled.

"So could I," She breathed out. "Pancakes for breakfast?"

"Blueberry pancakes," He hummed in response.

"My favorite," She smiled. They stood there for a while, staring at each other, both savoring this very moment.

"How did I get so lucky?" He questioned, more to himself than to her. A bright red flushed her cheeks at his statement.

He placed a kiss on her forehead and turned back to the pancakes. She took a seat on the kitchen counter and watched him cook, loving the sight of his muscles tensing at each of his movements.

"I think we should head back tomorrow," He stated. "You've already missed out on so much school-

"Can we just stay here? Forever?" She groaned, making him chuckle.

"One day," He said.

"Promise?" He placed the six pancakes onto a plate and turned toward her.

"I promise… But for now, we have a life to get back to." She rolled her eyes playfully. He placed the plate beside her and stood in between her legs, which wrapped around him, pulling him closer to her. Smirking, he placed his hands on the side of her thighs, accidentally rubbing her middle with his waist. She wordlessly moaned.

Leaning down as her arms wrapped around the nape of his neck, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Don't tease," She whispered against him, causing him to chuckle.

"It was by accident," He stated, "If I did it on purpose, you wouldn't be talking right now," Her eyes widened, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth. He smirked.

He leaned toward her, and nibbled on her ear before pulling away slowly. "It's time to eat," He whispered, a shiver being sent down her spine.

Oh boy, he's going to be the death of her.


End file.
